WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM FRIENDS
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN THE CHARACTERS D:
SUMMARY:Eric is not feeling very well, but his friends are there to help him. A bit of Eric's life is revealed making others realize just how much they don't know about their techie.
Sorry.. no Callen and Sam in this one.
Four days of research can really take a toll on you; in front of a screen everyday for 24 hours. It was the same case with Eric. His OSP chair was his home for almost 4 days now. He ate there. He even slept there.
It was 6:30 in the morning when Nell came in the headquarters still in her PJ's. Hetty had called her an hour ago saying she was needed at the OSP centre. She sleepily headed towards the stairs; her eyes almost closed, not paying any attention to Kensi and Deeks sitting in their so-called offices. She absent-mindedly entered the OSP centre and turned the lights on. That was when she noticed Eric.
"Eric?" She moved towards the still figure sitting on the chair, his head bowed down, elbows positioned on his knees, hair in a mess, strands sticking to his sweaty face showing no signs of reaction. Nell moved closer. That was when she noticed something was wrong. Eric was not sleeping; he was just unresponsive.
"Hey…Eric?" Her nervous voice made a way into his head interrupting his thoughts.
" Nell…I did not…see you." He said rubbing his eyes with his hands; his breathing very shallow.
"You gave me a fright there for a moment."
Eric smiled at her apologetically suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "Sorry. Just not in my right mind."
"Obviously. Eric you haven't slept for four days."
"I don't think it's been that long."
"Eric…go home. Rest for some time. I'll be here."
"No ways…I don't wanna be alone at home." He said quickly getting up from his chair and walking towards the screen in the middle of the room. Nell would have sworn, he sounded terrified.
"Are you okay?" she asked concern clear in her voice.
Eric did not respond…again. She quickly moved towards him placing her hand on his shoulder. "Is something wrong?"
"My sister…I wanted to save her." He said after a very long pause; his voice almost inaudible.
"What are you talking about?" She moved in front of him and looked him in the eyes for some time, letting him know that she was there to listen.
"I tried to save her…I really did. I just couldn't do it in time. Her cancer, it was killing her. I had no parents, no money, nothing. I let her die. She trusted me and I let her down." Eric was weeping now, letting the tears trickle down his cheeks. Nell was speechless. She had never thought Eric might have gone through so much himself. He was always the one with hilarious experiences in life not the one with so much pain and guilt hoarded inside him. What happened to his sister? Why did he feel so guilty?
Nell had far too many questions in her mind but she shoved them all at the back of her head because she had a friend to take care of.
"Its not your fault Eric." She said taking his face in her hands and looking straight into his eyes. She never thought in a million years that Eric would look so broken and miserable. She never thought he would look so much like a child when he cried. Just so adorable. Nell almost chuckled at her thoughts.
"Hey…look at me. It was not your fault. You hear me?"
"My sist'r died becuz'f me Nell. She want'd to'see me but I cudn'tt see'er die. I didn't meet'er. I stood outside watchin'er till'e last breath. I can't go'back into my house know'in what I did to'er. I jus' can't." Eric was gasping for air.
"Don't do this to yourself Eric." Nell's eyes were filled with tears but she did not want to cry in front of Eric. Not now, not ever. Feeling guilty about not being there with him all this time, leaving him alone at the OSP centre in his own thoughts in the dark, Nell hugged him like she would never let him be on his own again. For some time there was no reaction but Eric then burst into tears hugging her even more tightly. Nell could not control herself any more so she let out her tears.
They stayed like this for some time until Eric got back to his senses. Nell pulled a chair and pushed Eric so he could sit.
"Now, let's see what triggered all this." She put her hand on Eric's forehead and to her surprise he had a fever. She rushed back to her handbag and began to dig into it looking for anything that could help. She found what she needed. She tilted the medicine bottle and handed two tablets to Eric.
"Hey…take these. They'll help." Eric took the tablets and drank the water Nell gave suddenly feeling uneasy. He ran his hands through his hair and winced on movement.
"I feel terr'ble." He said keeping his eyes shut trying to hold his own.
"What you need Eric is some sleep. Get up, I'll take you home." She said gently pulling him up.
"No! Pl's. I don't wanna go... Jus…I am fi'n Nell." He said sitting back down.
Nell wanted to insist but given to his condition she decided to just let it go. "Fine. Don't go home but sleep. Come with me."
She slowly pulled him up and dragged him with her realizing just how vulnerable he was at the moment. She took him downstairs where the others were and started to move towards the sofa where Deeks was already sitting.
"What happened?" asked Kensi looking away from her paperwork.
"Is he okay?" asked Deeks getting up from the sofa giving Nell the place to do whatever it was she was trying to do.
"He has a high fever. He is just not in his head right now. I thought it would be best if he just slept." Nell was speaking really fast. She was panicking.
Kensi got up from her chair and started to pile the pillows over each other on the sofa. "Did you give him anything for the fever?"
"Yeah I did…That's it Kens, no need of more pillows." She said indicating Kensi to stop. She along with Kensi's help put Eric on the sofa. Deeks removed Eric's shoes and placed his feet on the sofa so that he could be in a sleeping position. During this whole time, Eric just stared into space absent-mindedly unaware of what was happening stuck in his own thoughts. Once Deeks was done, Nell pulled a blanket over Eric and uncovered his feet.
"He is very warm." Said Kensi; her hand on Eric's forehead.
"I ffeeell collld." Eric was violently shivering now.
"Let me see what I can do." Said Deeks before running out of the building.
"My sis'tr. I cd'not save'er. I let'er die!"
"What did he say?" asked Kensi out of curiosity.
"It's the fever. He is talking rubbish." Nell replied. She had heard him but did not want to bring up the topic.
"He has a sister?" Kensi asked; surprised.
"Just let it go now Kens. I don't know the whole story myself."
"His fever is getting higher." Kensi informed almost wincing because of the heat radiating out of Eric's body.
"I think I have a solution for that." Deeks came in from behind them with a lot of towels and a bowl full of water. "Get going!" He said placing everything on the floor beside the sofa.
Nell pulled her sleeves up, took a towel and dipped it inside the water. Slowly, she placed the wet towel on Eric's head only to be welcomed by a loud groan.
"Its colllldd." Eric tried to touch the towel to throw it away but he was just too weak to do anything.
Nell kept doing the same for some more time till Eric's fever got lower and he went into a deep slumber.
Getting up from her very uncomfortable position, Nell stretched her body and prepared herself. Deeks and Kensi had too many questions to ask. What will I tell them, she thought to herself.
'So…something you want to tell us?" asked Kensi interrupting Nell's thoughts.
"I don't know what to tell you. Well, apparently he had a sister. I can't believe I didn't know."
"Had?" Deeks knew what that meant. He just hoped it was not what he thought it was.
"She died." God no! Deeks thought to himself. "I have no idea when. She just did and Eric thinks it's his fault. I found him in the OSP centre…I knew something was wrong. He began to cry. I didn't know what to do." Nell just wanted to kill herself. She was his friend, they worked together for years, how could she not know about his sister.
"I never thought I'd see our techie like this."
"My thought exactly Deeks."
"He said she was dying. She wanted to meet Eric but he just couldn't see her die… so he got out of there." Nell sounded very...guilty for not knowing that bit of his friend's life. Kensi apprehended that and pulled Nell into a hug. They together decided to wait for Eric to explain and never to ask him anything about it. They decided to give him time, as much as he wanted. They decided to be with him no matter what because that is what friends are for.
Eric's fever was entirely gone and he was feeling a lot better thanks to the efforts of his friends who checked on him every now and then. Later that day, when Eric woke up, he found his friends right beside him. Nell and Kensi were sleeping on chairs that were pulled closer to where he was and Deeks was snoring with his head down on a table. Eric knew what happened, what piece of his life was revealed but he also knew that his friends would always be there for him because friends never walk behind or in front of you. They always walk beside you. He knew he could do anything, anything at all, with a little help from his friends.
So... truly, this idea came to me from nowhere and I wrote this in less than an hour. What do you think? Review review review! The second and third chapters of my first fanfic ever- Heart of NCIS are out. Give it a read. Thanks!
- ZoEy!